If a newbie posts anywhere on this forum, I guarentee within 24 hours at least 5 people will have welcomed them. I don't welcome on the "welcome thread", but if I reply to someone for the first time on another thread I say hi.

poohcarrot wrote:<snip>It made me feel that if you're not in the "inner circle" and invited to those events, then you're not welcome.

Can't say I agree with you there. Although I do think the CA site is probably more focused on Bernard and stamps and collecting stuff and events, and although I don't post as often there as I used to, it's still full of a bunch of lovely, welcoming, fun, people. My geographical location means I can't easily get to Wincanton or regional events - however, that hasn't stopped some other forum members visiting me. And, when my daughter lived on the UK mainland, people from the CA forum went out of their way to ensure she got to events, giving her lifts, arranging accommodation, looking after her, made her welcome, etc. For that, they will always have my grateful appreciation.

The CA forum was the first genuinely welcoming, friendly, DW forum I found. Previous to that, others I had come across seemed to be horribly sarcastic, patronising to newcomers and extremely offputting. I'm really pleased that now there are 2 wonderful DW forums! (Yes, I should post here more.)

I do agree with Tony though that, since the upgrade, the CA forum is not as user friendly. And the *no digression* tell us about yourself thread is a bit offputting. Is like... you pluck up the courage to post about yourself ... but ppl have to reply in another thread. There is no flow. Also, some of the original moderators from the CA site no longer or rarely post - but haven't been replaced or added to. Part of a mods job is to welcome new members and while the ones we still have are lovely (and extremely knowledgeable about stamps) , they could maybe think about adding some new mods to help with that sort of thing? - I miss Fi!

poohcarrot wrote:That's why I posted my Maskerade prize winning photo from the last DWCon and said I wasn't staying.

However, your cryptic clues certainly got some heads scratching and quite a few replies

The two forums basically have two very different reasons for existance as evidenced by who hosts the two places. The CA site is, as its name implies, basically supporting the Cunning Artificers shop and business and as such caters for the collectors of Pratchett based material, mainly the stamps. Whilst I have browsed the site sometimes I have never posted there. This site is hosted by Terry's publishers and is a more general overview of all things Pratchett related (and a lot of things that aren't) I have posted here every now and then It has a far more relaxed attitude and I cannot imagine anyone attempting a 'no digressions thread' here as it wouldn't last beyond the second posting

Pooh, I think you said that this is your first experience at a message board. They are all different - some of then are terrifying! The CA board is just different to this one. This one is a bit more about the books than the stamps.

My philosophy regarding welcoming is probably a lot different to most sites. I see newbies as important to keeping a board active and interesting. Some boards just see them as a nuisance.

I'm sure a lot of new posters find this site too friendly. believe it or not, some people like a confrontational atmosphere.

But all boards are bound to be different in the same way that all groups of friends are going to be different.

This is the first 'open' forum I have posted on. The only other one I post to is by invitation only and cannot even be browsed by non-members. If I wanted to I could easily fit in with the crowd on the CA forum as I have some interesting pieces several of which are unique however I prefer the excellent moderation on this site which means it runs more like a group of friends (most of the time) than the more controlled feeling on the CA site.

It's always horses for courses - my first message board was a quasi-NHS one for people with mental issues and it was a curious mix of gung-ho open and extremely personal anecdotes, frosty to non-existent welcoming and a feeling of talking into empty space in terms of feedback at time. Consequently I didn't stay long as I felt I wasn't spectacularly in need of 'belonging' on there which some people certainly did feel but didn't let others in too easily. Par for the course there as obviously, and I realise this is a sweeping generalisation but it's made with some justification and experience, a forum of people with mental issues isn't going to be easy to dive into and make friends with necessarily unless you persevere and have a good reason to want to be accepted with the long term 'cliques'

This board can seem cliqueish as evidenced when we get flashpoints occasionally and people (and yes I do mean me and other usual suspects who for the sake of clarity I'll call pooh ) start getting defensive and then combative or just bloody-minded with 'troublemakers' who are in general just newcomers who haven't found their bearings yet. The good thing about us lot is that we'll talk it through and mostly laugh about it whilst we're sorting it out (with Tony refereeing when needed) in a way that I think is to do with being a Terry fan in that we're opinionated but open to other views and paths, so any animosity (mostly) tails off pretty quickly unless someone's absolutely determined to be a b*tch Troll with PMT (actual gender unspecific here - blokes can be just as bad ).

I'm actually back on my 'badass' LotR forum again after swearing I was done with the jerks forever, because the jerks I was really having trouble with (because to call them Nazis would be an insult to the Luftwaffe if not the Gestapo... ) had all gone off in huff to be elitist on another board and the ones who are left there now are there for the geekiness and to roleplay in Middle Earth - and I get to play Sauron and Morgoth with prejudice! What I don't do on there is go anywhere except the RP thread I'm playing in, as I know I'll get irritated by the lore geeks and petty 'kingdom' arselickers who don't know their Tolkien from Noddy because they can barely read or LotRO clones with no depth of field who just want to point score... I can do Middle Earth RP on DreamWorlds too, but there's lots more people to play with on the old board and so that's where I go for my main RP kicks now, to DreamWorlds for comfort whinging and other fandom immersion and 'creative' projects and on here for general socialising, bitching, tub-thumping and TP basking.

Boards are what the people who use them make them - like Tony says the CA board is just coming at things from another direction and emphasis and so appeals to people differently than here whilst ostensibly sharing some common traits It's all good and all you have to do is find your comfort zones and where they fit best

I'm fridging happy that this is non of the forums where you get an opinion forced on yourself. Gods, I hate those. Heck, if I don't like a piece of work from the author/company/etc I don't like it and have my reasons. Why is that so hard to accept for people? *sighs*

I do like Bernards site and over the years got to know some of the people but I must admit that I spend more time on here now than the CA forum which I visit reguarly,sinceI no longer live in London it is more difficult to attend events at the drop of a hat and due to the fact of the acommodation problem,but that is looking promising just got to check the flights for Hogwatch.

He willnae tak' a drink! I think he's deid! , on the other hand though A Midgie in yir hand is worth twa up yir kilt.